The bus ride was full of laughter and giggles but little did we know what we were heading into.

We hopped off the bus and headed down to our first site for data collection. Climbing into the forest on the side of the state highway to collect our data on the growth of plants in that area, we began taking samples and lots of laughter ensued as we attempted to navigate the dense bush terrain.

After successfully finishing our first lot of data collection, we began our ascent up to the Temple Basin Lodge.

About 1/3 of the way up we stopped for a lunch break, taking some time to appreciate the nice warm weather before collecting data from our second site. Site 2 was MUCH easier to navigate than site 1. However, some students did learn the importance of waterproof shoes/tramping boots as site 2 was quite boggy.

With full bellies we happily continued our journey up to the lodge, the next section on the track was steeper than the last but eventually, we all made it to the lodge. Some students even went above and beyond what was expected, coming back down to collect the packs of those who were still climbing.

Soon after everyone had made it, we headed to the gully to collect data for our practice exam. It started drizzling as we collected our data from the gully, so we wrapped it up quickly and headed inside for some hot drinks and games.

After dinner, we all sat down to sit our practice exam. Afterwards, everyone began settling down for the night, not realizing what was to come.

We woke up on Monday morning to rain and winds, but we had to soldier on. The group continued climbing up towards the basin to collect the last of our data but the conditions worsened and we had to turn around and head back to the lodge as it was getting too dangerous.

The descent back to the lodge was difficult for many as the winds were strong enough for people to get pushed around and the track had turned into a river. Everyone did an awesome job looking out for each other and making sure everyone got down safe and sound.

After some hot showers and drinks, everyone wrapped up warm and sat in the common room for some fun and games, well nearly everyone…

After lunch, Mr Baars and Mel, one of the staff at the lodge, took a group of students out for a swim in the main river. However, the current was too strong for a river-swim but it didn’t stop this group of insane students from sitting in some of the streams. It’s safe to say the water was cold!

Dinner on Monday night was accompanied by some more stormy weather, and before we knew it, we were doing the first part of the assessment. The rest of the evening was pretty chilled out, everyone was studying, playing games, or having a good old yarn over a cup of tea. We all headed off to our bunks ready to sleep before our final day… or so we thought.

The storm that had been hammering Temple Basin refused to calm down, meaning most of us struggled to sleep. We had people who had anywhere from no sleep to a full eight hours!

Tuesday morning brought the news that we would actually be staying an extra night at the lodge. This news was a relief for those of us with little sleep; no one fancied walking down the mountain when they were tired.

Even though we were stuck for an extra day, we still had part two of our assessment to do. Breakfast was eaten, we sat the final part of the assessment, and then we could do whatever we wanted for the rest of the day! Well, almost whatever we wanted.

After a chilled Tuesday night, we woke to good news! The storm had calmed enough that we were able to climb down the hill. Breakfast was eaten and then it was onto packing and chores.

The gear lift had been damaged in the storm but Mr Baars set off with an awesome team of students to go and fix it.

Before we knew it, it was time to say goodbye to Mel and Mel, our two fabulous staff members at the lodge! They’d been awesome to hang out with and cooked us some delicious meals. The extra food on the last day was especially appreciated and they helped make the extra night so much more enjoyable.

We said goodbye and headed down the mountain, the walk down was so much easier than the walk up, even with the path that had turned into a river. Everyone reached the bottom, soaked head to toe but excited to head home to our own warm beds. We hopped on the bus and after a quick snack break in Springfield, we arrived back at school with memories of a trip we will never forget!

Riccarton High School Temple Basin trip 2019 Julia Cotton

CTDTA dance competitions - Amy McNicholl